Our prediction for this Primera Division match:
After suffering a shocking 1-0 loss at Almeria, Barcelona will be aiming to cement top position when they host Valencia to their Camp Nou. Barca are now only seven points clear of second-place Real Madrid, meaning that they need to take Sunday’s game seriously. Brazil winger Raphinha is pushing for a start, as well as Ronald Araujo, while key attacker Robert Lewandowski has joined the likes of Ansu Fati, Pedri, and Ousmane Dembele in the recovery room.
Los Che, on the other hand, recorded a morale-boosting win over Real Sociedad, with the team putting an end to their five-game losing run. Valencia, though, are not regarded as good travellers, and we do not believe that they are capable of spoiling Barca’s party at Cam Nou. Experienced Uruguay forward Edinson Cavani remains in the recovery room, alongside Jaume Domenech, Jose Gaya, and Marcos de Sousa, while Nico is a major doubt.
Highlighted Player (Jordi Alba):
Jordi Alba is yet another product of Barcelona’s youth academy La Masia. The pacey full back, though, started playing for Valencia at senior level and after making 74 league appearances for los Che he returned to Barcelona in 2012.
He signed a five-year deal with Barca on 28 June, 2012 and he made his debut for the Catalan giants on 19 August in a 5-1 win over Real Sociedad. Alba won his third La Liga title with Barca in 2016 and it has to be noted that he participated in a 3-1 win over Juventus in the 2014/2015 Champions League final. The left-footed defender made his Spain debut on 11 October, 2011 and one year later he won the European Championship trophy with la Furia Roja.
He scored in the final against Italy. Jordi Alba has four caps for Spain U21 team and he played for Catalonia as well. The left back was born in L’Hospitalet de Llobregat on 21 March, 1989.
Highlighted Team (Valencia):
Founded on March 18, 1919, Valencia FC are a Spanish football club that compete in La Liga. Los Che play their home games at Estadio de Mestalla, the stadium which was opened back in May, 1923. The capacity of the venue is 50,000. Seeing that bats are quite common in Valencia, it is no surprise they are nicknamed the Bats.
Valencia made it to the Champions League final on two occasions (2000, 2001), but they were beaten in the title games by Real Madrid and Bayern Munchen respectively. The Spanish club, though, did well to win the UEFA Cup title in the 2003/2004 season, with the team beating Marseille in the final of the competition.
A number of top-class footballers were part of the club in the past, with the likes of Pablo Aimar, Ruben Baraja, David Albelda, Santiago Canizares, John Carew and Gaizka Mendieta all playing for the Estadio de Mestalla outfit. Valencia main colors are white and black, whilst they often where orange jerseys and shorts when playing on the travels.